The invention relates generally to electrical connectors, and more particularly to electrical connectors for temporarily connecting power from a utility pole to a building.
A temporary electrical connection to a house or other building, having at least rudimentary wiring such as a house under construction not yet tied into a power line, is usually required prior to the installation of the permanent power line in order to finish the work on the inside. Typically, one of the first steps in the wiring process of new construction is to mount a meter box, which will ultimately house a watt-hour meter, where the meter box is wired to the interior. On the inside, electrical connecting equipment, such as panels of relays, breaker boxes, wall sockets and so forth, all feed off the wiring leading from the meter box. A method for effecting a temporary connection is to run a power line from a breaker box on a saw pole to the watt-hour meter box mounted on the building under construction. A saw pole is a conventional term used to designate a utility pole erected for the principal purpose of connecting an electric saw, and is typically the initial electrical power source to the property.
The meter box contains terminal clamps designed to receive the terminal blades which project from the back of a watt-hour meter. The electrical leads of a power line, stripped of insulation therein exposing the conductive wire, are approximately the right thickness so as to be inserted into the terminal clamps, and an expeditious electrical connection can be made from the saw pole to the interior of the building under construction, by inserting the exposed wires into the terminal clamps. While effective, this type of connection can easily be dislodged, and is a potential source of electrical shock to the public and to the individual making the connection. Additionally, it is very easy to get the wires crossed, therein accidentally mis-wiring the connection, which could cause significant property damage to the associated circuitry and connected equipment. An electric plug uniquely designed for connecting power into the meter-box substantially eliminates these hazards.
Related art is scarce. Road U.S. Pat. No. 2,805,405 describes the terminal construction for meters. Electrical connectors have been described by Swan U.S. Pat. No. 2,748,359, Conlan U.S. Pat. No. 2,383,107 and Fuller U.S. Pat. No. 3,362,006.